A photovoltaic cell converts light, usually sunlight, into electricity. Photovoltaics (“PV”s) are often installed in order to replace or supplement electricity from the electrical grid.
The photovoltaics need to be hooked up to the electric service panel in order to provide power to the load in the house or business; and/or to the power grid. However, a common problem when installing Photovoltaic revolves around the electrical service panel due to busbars that can develop heat issues if excessive electrical loads are connected to the electrical service panel.
The National Electrical Codes also known as the NEC have created installation restrictions for Photovoltaic systems due to these heat issues. NEC states; “Sum of the amps ratings of the overcurrent devices shall not exceed 120 percent of the rating of the busbar or conductor.” Due to this NEC code, installers have limited options and typically are forced to increase the main electrical service panel size, reduce the PV system size or other means of sacrifice for PV installation due to the electrical service panel component limitations.